A Newer Hero
by Sarek of Vulcan
Summary: The first in a new SPARTAN-II project, Lawrence may be the only hope of the New Covenant when an ancient evil awakens and threatens to wipe out all life in the universe.
1. Welcome, traveler

Prologue

**Prologue**

A/N: Woohoo, a Halo fic. This is technically my first original fic, so please R&R, so I can know what my true writing skills are. Basically, the prologue is an introduction to my modified universe, so pay attention. Or not… you can always reread it. :-P

Prologue

Welcome, traveler, to the New Covenant ship _Point of No Return_. You are a Human, yes? Good. I am Artificial Intelligence 726 Gentle Advocate, and I will be your guide so long as you are aboard this ship. Hmm? No, I am not a Forerunner AI, though much of my programming is modeled after Forerunner code. I am the result of a… "marriage," if you will, between Human, Old Covenant, and Forerunner technology, and superior to—Oh, forgive me, I'm rambling again. If you will follow me, please?

These are the crew quarters, newly refitted to hold Sangheili and Unggoy in addition to Human crewmen. Lekgolo stay elsewhere, of course. Pardon? Oh, you are not conversant with Old Covenant names. Very well, I shall translate. Sangheili are Elites, Unggoy Grunts, and Lekgolo Hunters, if that helps.  
What's that? No, you will certainly not be staying here. Our passenger quarters are much more luxurious. This way, please; let's continue the tour.

Ah, here is the main bridge. Yes, it is nice to see you again as well, Admiral 'Vadumee. No, no one calls him Half-Jaw anymore; it would be disrespectful. Oh! Fleet Admirals John-117 and Arbiter, meet our esteemed guest. The fleet admirals are the heroes of the Human-Covenant War. Admiral John single-handedly stopped innumerable major Old Covenant operations, and Admiral Arbiter opened his people's eyes to the deluded path they were on. Yes, I know you know all that, but it's in the program, I have to say it. Hmm, over here it appears Colonel Ackerson and Dr. Halsey are arguing as usual. Let's have a listen, shall we?...

A/N: Just wanted to let you know that this is the only chapter that's going to be in this format; the rest will be more normal.


	2. Halsey and Ackerson

Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A/N: Okay, I already had a couple chaps written when I published the prologue, so the first two chapters will come quick. Please R&R!

Chapter 1

Dr. Halsey strode rapidly through the halls of the _Point of No Return_, flanked by her two Sangheili bodyguards; despite being nearly twice her height, they were almost running to keep up. She entered the bridge, her eyes scanning for a particular figure. She found Colonel Ackerson standing at one of the transparisteel windows, gazing down on Sulekgolos, the Hunter homeworld. The_ Point of No Return_ was stationed there in case of an attack by the remnants of the Old Covenant; though most sentients were now content to live and let live, a few isolated pockets of fanatics continued to try to bring down the new government, so all New Covenant worlds were under protection. However, Katherine Halsey was not here to discuss their assignment.

"Colonel!" she called, as soon as she was in earshot of him. He gave no sign that he had heard her, but as she was about to repeat her call, he turned and smiled at her.

"Always a pleasure, Katherine," he stated.

"I'm not here for small talk, Colonel Ackerson," she replied. "I'm here to discuss the new project."

The smile vanished from Ackerson's face as he glanced around to ensure no unfriendly—or worse, unauthorized—ears were listening. "Are you insane, Doctor?" he hissed. "You know we can't discuss that in a nonsecure zone!"

"Calm down, Colonel. I won't mention anything classified; we simply have… personnel issues," was her smooth answer. "I'm afraid we don't have as many SPARTAN-II's as we need; you're going to have to transfer in some of your SPARTAN-III's as well."

Ackerson shook his head and folded his arms. "I'm sorry, Dr. Halsey, there simply aren't any available right now. The new batch is still in training, and the rest are deployed elsewhere."

Halsey laughed bitterly. "'Batch,' Ackerson? The Spartans are just tools to you, aren't they? Objects to use, and throw away when they wear out." Dimly, she became aware of Gentle Advocate hovering nearby with a human in tow, but it was more important to deal with the Colonel.

Ackerson met her gaze; she thought she detected amusement in those cold eyes. "Of course, Doctor. What are they to you?"

"Lives!" she snarled. "Human lives, to be expended only—_only_—if and when it becomes necessary."

The Colonel answered with a mocking laugh. "And that, _Doctor _Halsey," he said, emphasizing her title as if to remind her she was a civilian, "is why I am a soldier, and you are not."

"Well, if being a soldier means being willing to throw lives away for no reason, then I'm better off a civilian, in my opinion!" snapped Dr. Halsey.

Ackerson's face hardened. Without a word, he turned on his heel and left the bridge, leaving Katherine alone at the window.

A/N: Just so you know, the "project" they were discussing is not the new S-II project. Please R&R… and R again! 


	3. New Spartans

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A/N: This is the last of the prewritten chapters. You know the drill… R&R! :)

Chapter 2

After a moment, the Doctor remembered that Gentle Advocate still hovered patiently nearby. She turned to him, greeting him with, "Hello, 726. What do you need?"

"Nothing, Dr. Halsey," the AI replied. "I merely wished to introduce you to our guest, His Majesty King Joseph, of England, Earth."

Dr. Halsey shook the King's hand. "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."

The King bowed deeply as he replied, "The pleasure is mine, Doctor. I have followed your SPARTAN-II project since its inception, and have and will continue to donate a large percentage of its funding."

Dr. Halsey wondered how much of this "funding" went into the pockets of bureaucrats to keep the King and his children out of the draft. Aloud, she said, "That is very gracious of you, Your Majesty. If there is anything I can do for you…" As if she could do anything for even a ceremonial monarch.

The King, however, beamed. "Actually, there is, Doctor," he exclaimed. "You see, I had read of your tests for the potential SPARTAN-II's, and out of curiosity, I tested both my children, Robert and Lawrence. Robert was completely normal, but Lawrence…" He trailed off.

"But Lawrence what, Your Majesty?"

Joseph was all business now, his smile gone. "Lawrence," he said, "performed better than the recorded scores of the Master Chief himself."

Halsey blinked in surprise: John had outperformed over 300 of his fellow candidates on those aptitude tests.

Abruptly the smile was back. "So this is what I want you to do, Katherine—may I call you Katherine?

I want you to test my son, in case I made any mistakes in the process, and if you find him fit, I want him trained as the first in a new line of SPARTAN-II's."

Dr. Halsey felt her jaw drop. The Spartans were arguably the most elite and selective branch of the Navy, but training had to start when the candidate was very young. Many of the Spartans had forgotten who their parents were, and even their last names. In addition, there was a 46-percent mortality rate for the bioaugmentation procedures. All these factors combined to make one inconvenient truth: no parent wanted their child to become a Spartan.

Yet here was one, apparently, who did. Katherine forced herself to remain composed. "Your Majesty, do you truly want this? If you ask around, you'll find that most of the Spartans don't remember their parents. Do you want Lawrence to forget you?"

The King's smile slipped, and for a moment his face was troubled. "I… realize that, Katherine," he said hesitantly. "I've spoken of that with Lawrence. We both feel it's a… necessary risk."

Katherine sighed heavily. "If you're decided then… I'm returning to Earth on the _Prince Valiant _in two weeks. Send Lawrence to the ONI office when I contact you."

King Joseph's smile returned. "Excellent! I trust you'll find him an engaging child. You'll keep me posted on how he does?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Well then, I bid you adieu, fair lady," the King finished. He turned to Gentle Advocate, who had remained hovering nearby patiently. "And now, good construct, if you will convey me to my rooms?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. This way, please." And the AI hovered off the bridge. King Joseph followed him, leaving Dr. Halsey alone with her thoughts.


	4. Office of ONI

Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

A/N: Finally, we switch over to Lawrence. But Oh Noez! I forgot the disclaimer on the other three chapters! I'll just put a reeeeeeally big one.

Crazyfrog: I know… I forgot the Arbiter's name… embarrassed But since the MC and Arbiter will not play a large part in this fic, I just decided to promote them.

Ice: Updates will come as quickly as I can make them.

Tremblewolf: I'm playing this by ear; the chapters kinda end themselves. And I wasn't planning for there to be an argument between Lawrence and the King, but it's a good idea, I might do that.

DDiissccllaaiimmeerr: I don't own Halo. I didn't own Halo in any of the previous chapters either. None of this is making me any money.

Chapter 3

Lawrence swallowed nervously as he stared up at the enormous ONI logo over his head. His father, still on the _Point of No Return_, had contacted him by holovid this morning, and told him that their antique Lear jet would fly him out here, where he would be tested for his aptitude as a Spartan. But… no one had told him it would be so _big_.

A hologram projector nearby flickered into life, and the avatar of the ONI help AI appeared. It looked remarkably similar to Cortana. "Greetings, Prince Lawrence," it said. "I am Bounteous Spring, and I can direct you to anywhere you need to go in this facility. Excluding secure areas, of course. How may I help you?"

"I need to see Dr. Halsey," Lawrence replied.

"Certainly, Your Highness. Simply follow the path of lights I light up for you."

"Very well. Thank you, Bounteous Spring," said Lawrence warmly, and strode toward the first of the lights.

The sequence of lights was extraordinarily long; Lawrence passed a number of closed-door offices that looked important, and even ran into a war hero.

Literally. Lawrence was so intent on the lights and sights around him that he rammed into the torso of a gold-armored Elite with enough force to knock him breathless to the ground. "S-sorry, sir," he gasped.

"No need for apologies, young one." The rough Sangheili voice sounded amused. "Curiosity is not a sin." Clawed Elite fingers hoisted the young prince to his feet.

Lawrence looked for the Sangheili's rank marking. "Thank you, Admiral—Half-Jaw?" he said in amazement.

Admiral Rtas 'Vadumee's remaining mandibles twisted in an Elite smile, and he chuckled. "Yes, child, I am Half-Jaw, though only the Fleet Admirals call me that anymore."

Lawrence was too excited to pay attention. "Wow! I actually met Half-Jaw! My friends will be so jealous!" Suddenly, his face fell. "I forgot… I'm not allowed to have friends anymore."

Half-Jaw frowned. No doctrine he'd heard of prevented anyone from having friends. "Why is that, young one? And who are you?"

Suddenly Lawrence remembered his manners. "Forgive me, Admiral. I am Prince Lawrence of England." He scowled. "And I can't have friends because Dad says I have to become a Spartan like the Master Chief. Which is cool and all, but…"

"But what, Your Highness?" Half-Jaw asked. "I thought it was every child's dream to be like Fleet Admiral John. And nobody says you aren't allowed to have friends when you're a Spartan. In fact, friendship becomes even more meaningful, because your friends' lives can depend on you, and yours on them." It was part of a speech he'd given many times to troops under him when he was an Old Covenant officer. However, it didn't seem to have the same effect on the Prince as it had on the Grunts, Jackals, and Elites he'd commanded.

"Yeah, but I don't want to forget all my friends I have now, or my mom!" Lawrence yelled. "Which is what my dad says will probably happen. And I don't want to!"

Half-Jaw's frown deepened. There was a conspicuous absence in that sentence. "What of your father, child? Surely you want to remember him, too?"

Lawrence laughed bitterly. "Him? He doesn't care about me. To him, this is just getting me out of the way so he can train Robert to be the next 'King.' Which is fine by me; I don't want to pretend to be king while Parliament makes all the decisions. But I don't want to forget everyone!" he sobbed.

Half-Jaw tried to comfort him. Not something Sangheili are good at. "But when I was with Dr. Halsey on the Prince Valiant on our way back, she told me your father said you outscored the Master Chief—I mean, Fleet Admiral John—on the Spartan aptitude tests. Doesn't that count for something?"

Lawrence sighed. "Sure, I guess. But what are test scores next to family and friends, Admiral? I mean, really?"

Half-Jaw sighed. "Truthfully, child, I am not expert in these matters. In the Covenant, if your government needed you, you went, and friends be damned. But I realize Humans have different customs, and I trust that whatever you need to do will become apparent. And if you truly wish to remember your mother and your friends, then you will."

Lawrence brightened. "Do you really think so, Admiral?"

"Your Highness, I know so."

"Thank you, Half-Jaw! You've really made me feel a lot better!" A chime made both of them glance around, and the light green, feminine avatar of Bounteous Spring appeared again.

"Lawrence, Dr. Halsey expected you to be in her office by now. What is the delay?" asked the AI.

Lawrence glanced at the chrono on the wall. "Oh, crap! We've been talking for almost an hour! Thanks again, Admiral, but I gotta run. 'Bye!" He dashed off.

Admiral 'Vadumee remained where he was, mandibles pursed in thought. Finally, he muttered, "A most… stimulating child, and a quite engaging conversation." Smiling to himself, he strode off.

A/N: Wow, I think this was the best chapter yet. R&R and tell me if you agree.


	5. Roswellians

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A/N: In this chapter, Lawrence has a close encounter of the third kind. R&R!

Reviewer: It's called FANfiction for a reason. It's non-canon, and I can do whatever I want with it. So there.

Chapter 4

Lawrence ran down the hall away from Half-Jaw, ruminating on their conversation. _Maybe becoming a Spartan isn't such a bad thin after all_, he mused. _Especially since the alternative is becoming a clone of a man I despise…_

Lost in thought, Lawrence wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and only noticed he'd strayed off the path of lights when a voice yelled, "Hey kid! What are you doing in here?! This is a restricted area!" He skidded to a halt and looked around. He was surrounded by pods of some sort, each containing a sleeping, hibernating, or unconscious creature. Some he recognized—Brutes and Drones, as well as the odd human—but most were not from any species he knew, though he recognized three as creatures of the type that supposedly landed at Roswell in 1947, over 300 years previously. Of much greater concern to him, however, was the enormously fat security guard lumbering towards him.

Lawrence spun on his heel and ran.

Fortunately, he was extraordinarily fit and muscled for a nine-year-old, whereas the guard couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his toes, or eaten less than four hamburgers at a sitting. Unfortunately, there was someone in the way.

Again.

For the second time that day, Lawrence bulled into someone walking the other way. He'd been looking over his shoulder to ensure that he was going to escape, which was why he hadn't seen the other person. Fearfully, he stared up at the woman he'd collided with, certain he was about to be tossed into lockup and lose all chance of becoming a Spartan. However, instead a cool female voice from overhead said smoothly, "Calm down, Donovan, he's with me."

"Whatever you say, Dr. Halsey," gasped the guard, halting and massaging his chest. He turned and limped back towards the pod room, and the doctor helped the young prince to his feet.

"Thank you Dr. Halsey," Lawrence said, brushing himself off.

The doctor's eyes twinkled behind her glasses. "No need for thanks, your Highness. I've wandered in there myself, on absent-minded occasion."

"Please, Doctor, call me Lawrence," insisted the Spartan-to-be. "And… what do they do in there? If you're allowed to tell me, of course," he added hurriedly.

"Truthfully, Lawrence, I don't know any more about it than you do," replied Halsey. "And in any event, that isn't why you're here. We've got to get your testing underway. Follow me, please."

"Are there any tests my father didn't give me, Dr. Halsey?" asked Lawrence as the twosome set off down the hall.

"Well, there are one or two new ones that we didn't do when John and the others were tested, but other than that, everything should be familiar," Katherine answered as they reached her office. She opened a drawer and pulled out a small, bright circle of metal.

"What is that, Doctor?" the young prince said, examining it closely.

"It's an antique coin, of the same type I used to test John. See, it's marked with a head on one side, and an eagle on the other. I want to test your reflexes. Watch—" she spun the coin in the air, then caught it and clapped it against her arm. "I want you to tell me which side the coin landed on…"

Back in the pod room, Donovan had decided that he'd done enough puffing around for one day, and he'd gone to take a nap. That's why he wasn't there when one of the Roswell aliens opened its eyes. He didn't see it raise a three-fingered hand and push at the front of its pod; he didn't hear the transparisteel—rated to withstand over 10,000 pounds of pressure—shatter and fall forward onto the floor.

He wasn't there to raise the alarm when the alien stepped out of its pod—a pod that had contained it for 200 years, and should have contained it for a thousand more. He didn't see the alien look around, or stop it striding away down the corridor.

It's a shame, really. If he had, maybe millions of lives would have been saved.

A/N: Hate to leave you hanging like that, but I gotta keep you hooked somehow. Sorry for the post delay, but I do have a life. And I realize the Navy would never hire a fat security guard. Call it writer's license. :)

See you next time!


End file.
